Tea Time
by Onora
Summary: Elsa's daily ritual is interrupted. ***Complete*** Family/Fluff
1. Chapter 1

As the grandfather clock behind her chimed out the hour, a smile tugged at Elsa's lips. She began to silently count, waiting for the sound of footsteps. Any moment Gerda would step through the door with a tray of tea and assorted snacks, just as she had every morning for the last four years.

Since Elsa began using her father's study, after his passing, they had followed the same routine. After the Great Thaw Gerda continued the ritual, unless Elsa was trapped in a meeting or away from the castle. At first, Elsa had thought it was just Gerda's way of making sure she ate something during the day. But overtime she had come to understand it was not just Elsa's eating habits the servant was concerned about.

The tray was always set up before the chaise, never at the desk. Even when Elsa made room for it, Gerda would suggest the young woman would be more comfortable on the chaise. When the custom first began Elsa would, at times, ignore the tray to continue working. Gerda would stand by the chaise, hands folded in front of her, dropping gentle reminders that the tea was getting cold.

When tactful hints failed the handmaiden would become more direct. More than once she informed the then future Queen that she had been working all morning and it was time for a break. As Gerda worked on setting up the tray, they would share small talk. Elsa had grown accustom to the daily chats and found she missed them when her schedule would not allow it.

The clock chimed ten and no footsteps came. Elsa's count reached twenty and still only silence greeted her from the hallway. She frowned at the empty door. It was not like Gerda to be late. The woman ran on a time schedule that would make a ship's captain proud.

There was only one person who could keep Gerda from tending to Elsa and that was Anna. But her sister was away for the day, having joined Kristoff on his trip to the ice harvester's camp. She shrugged off a growing tug of concern and turned back to her work. She was being silly, Gerda had an entire castle to run, even she could be late once in a while.

As the clock chimed quarter pass the hour, Elsa paused in her work. Something was wrong. She was about to stand when she heard footsteps treading down the hall. Tension left her shoulders, as a relieved sigh slipped from her lips. Gerda's normally light, steady steps where heavy and a bit clumsy. If she didn't know better, she would think Anna was in the hall.

Her attention turned once more to her paperwork. A smile turned her lips upward as she thought of how she would tease the older woman for her tardiness, looking forward to a sassy reply.

She looked up with a broad smile as the maid stopped in the doorway. The smile dropped at the sight of a young woman, holding a tray in her unsteady hands.

"Your Majesty." She curtsied as best she could, nearly spilling the teapot as the tray tipped. "I have your tea. Where would you like me to set it up?"

"The coffee table will be fine." Elsa motioned toward it with her head, shaking off her confusion at the maid's presence.

With another clumsy bow the girl scurried across the room. She sat the tray down, causing the china to rattle. Red blush spread up the girl's neck and face at the clumsy motion. "Sorry."

Elsa caught the whispered apology. She tried to keep her focus on her work as the girl fumbled with the contents of the tray. The girl had turned eighteen in the spring and joined the house staff a week later. One so new and young would rarely have access to the Queen. But the girl was Alma's niece and Gerda had taken her under wing. From day one she had been shadowing Gerda, hoping to learn her responsibilities in the castle and too the Royal family.

Margit could be a challenge some days. She had all the grace of a reindeer in a china shop. On more than one occasion Elsa had overheard Gerda scolding the girl for stomping down the hall.

China clattered against silver as the girl struggled to set up the tea cup and saucer.

"Margit."

She spun so fast she nearly toppled over. "Ma'am?"

"Where is Gerda?"

The color drained from the girl's face as quickly as it had rushed there earlier.

"Gerda, ma'am?"

"Yes, Gerda, tall woman, graying hair." _Eyes like a hawk_. Elsa kept the last to herself.

"She's not here, ma'am."

"Yes, I can see that." Silence lingered as the girl's fingers fiddled with her skirt, her eyes looking everywhere but at Elsa. It was taking some effort for Elsa not to grit her teeth. "Would you please tell Gerda, I need to speak with her about the menu for the dinner with Ambassador Negil?"

"You need, Gerda, to come here?" The girl blushed.

Elsa looked up. "This is where I am, so yes."

"Begging your pardon, Your Majesty. But could Auntie, I mean, Alma, be of service to you instead?"

"No," It was taking some effort for Elsa not to snap at the girl. "I need to speak with Gerda."

"Yes, ma'am" The girl began ringing her hands, but made no move to leave.

Elsa felt the last of her patience wane. "Margit, is there a problem?"

"No, ma'am, I mean yes. Gerda can't come here."

Elsa laid down her pen and folded her hands atop the desk. Her face blank. "Is she in the castle?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then why can't she come?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you, ma'am."

A delicate eyebrow arched. "And why not?"

"Gerda said, I wasn't to tell you or the Princess."

Elsa leaned forward, fixing the girl with an ice cold glare. She spoke slowly. "Margit, I'm going to ask you one more time, and I better get an honest, complete answer. Where. Is. Gerda?"

The girl swallowed hard before blurting out. "In her chambers."

Anger turned to concern. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Why do you think some thing's wrong, ma'am?"

Pale hands slammed down atop the desk, leaving a faint dusting of frost. "Margit, if you answer one more question with a question, so help me, I'll freeze your toes to the floor. Now, why is Gerda in her chambers?"

The young woman bowed her head, accepting defeat. "She's sick, ma'am."

As she stood, Elsa's chair slid back with an ear piercing squeal. Margit cringed at the sound. "Sick? What did the doctor say?"

"She refused to call for him, ma'am."

"Of all the pig-headed…" Elsa started for the door.

Margit scrambled to follow after her.

"Get the doctor and tell him to go to Gerda's chambers. And he is not to leave until he has given her a complete exam, Queen's orders." She whipped around, causing Margit to slide to a halt mere inches from colliding with her Queen.

The maid scrambled back several steps.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Margit tried to curtsy.

"Never mind all that, go." Elsa shooed her away with a wave of her hand.

Alone in the hallway Elsa tried to remember when she had seen Gerda last. Was it breakfast? No, she wasn't there. Come to think of it, she hadn't been there to see Anna off. She silently cursed herself for not noticing earlier. With a wave of her hand the ice beneath her feet vanished. There would be time for reflexion later, now she needed to act.


	2. Chapter 2

Half an hour later Elsa knocked on a plain wooden door in the servant's quarters. The door opened to reveal a tall, red faced, older man with salt and pepper hair. Small spectacles were perched low on his nose. "What?!" Realizing who he was barking at he straightened. "Your Majesty, forgive me. I didn't know it was you."

"It's alright, Doctor Engen." When he made no attempt to move she held up a ladened serving tray. "May I?"

"Of course." He stepped back opening the door wide for her. "Let me get that for you."

She turned blocking him with a shoulder. "No, thank you. I've got it."

Gerda sat propped up in the middle of the bed. A pile of papers scattered on the blankets around her.

"Queen Elsa, what are you doing here?" Gerda asked.

Elsa made her way to a small table, setting down the tray. "You missed ten o'clock tea." Without further explanation she turned to the doctor. "So how is our patient?"

"As stubborn as ever."

"I didn't ask for you to come here and start poking and prodding me." Gerda snipped.

"No, I asked him too." Elsa answered.

"What on earth for…ma'am?" Gerda caught herself.

"Because, you're sick." She folded her hands against her skirt and looked to the doctor. "How is she?"

"She has a cold, ma'am."

He took a small brown bottle from his bag. "She needs to take a teaspoon of this every four hours, Your Majesty." He pointed at Gerda. "And she needs to rest, at least two days of bed rest. And real rest, not sitting in bed working.

Gerda waved him off with a growl.

Elsa took the medicine. "Don't worry, doctor. I'll see to it she does as you say."

"Very well, Your Majesty." He opened the door, then turned to Gerda. "I'll be by tomorrow to check on you."

"To torture me, you mean."

He shook his head, turning to Elsa. "Your Majesty, if she develops a fever send for me."

"I will. Thank you, doctor." Elsa closed the door behind him. She turned to see Gerda throwing back the covers. "And where do you think you're going? She crossed the room, placing a gentle, yet firm hand on the woman's shoulder. As she pushed her back, her other hand pulled up the blankets.

"I need to go to the kitchen. Lord, only knows what damage Margit has caused this morning."

Elsa began gathering the scattered papers. "Alma, is handling the kitchen, and Margit. _You_ need to rest. Didn't you hear a word the doctor said?"

"Bah." She tried to take the papers from Elsa's hands, but the younger woman moved them out of her reach. "Bed rest, that's his answer for everything."

Elsa placed the papers on the small table, well out of Gerda's reach. "That's because it's the best way to fight a cold."

Gerda frowned, pointing a finger at her. "You're a fine one to talk, Your Majesty. When have you ever followed doctor's orders to rest?"

"Never." Elsa removed the cover from the tray and lifted a bowl, spoon and napkin. "I'm a horrible patient." As she sat on the edge of the bed, draping the napkin under Gerda's chin, she caught the older woman's eye. "And you're worse. Would you like me to send for Kai?"

"Don't you dare. It took me weeks to talk him into going to see his brother. I'll not have his visit cut short by a silly, little cold." She folded her arms over her chest. Besides," Some of her sternness faded. "he'd worry himself sick the entire trip home."

"As you wish." Elsa fought down a smile. She scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it then held it out to the woman. "Now, open up."

Gerda glared at her.

A delicate eyebrow arched as Elsa tilted her head forward. "You know I'm just as stubborn as you. Kai reminds me of it nearly every day."

Gerda snorted, still holding Elsa's gaze she begrudgingly opened her mouth. Elsa fed her the soup.

"There, see, that wasn't so hard." She held up another spoonful.

Gerda accepted it without hesitation. Her eyes soften with a faint smile as she watched the young woman. "You shouldn't be doing this, Your Majesty."

"Well, you could hold the bowl yourself, but I don't want you to spill it during a coughing fit." She emptied the spoon and dipped it again.

"That's not what I meant. You are the Queen. You should not be feeding anyone, especially a house servant."

A hint of a smile ghosted over Elsa's lips. "I am the Queen. Therefore, I can feed whomever I choose." Her eyes caught Gerda's and softened. "And you are much more to me than a house servant."

The woman looked away at the admittance. "Still, it's not proper."

"I think we can all use a little impropriety once in awhile." She held up the spoon.

Gerda accepted the offering.

They continued on in silence for several minutes, till Gerda turned away with a shake of her head.

"Let's finish this before it gets cold." Elsa held the spoon out.

"No, I've had enough. My stomach is turning a bit sour."

"All right, why don't you take your medicine then you can get some rest."

The woman nodded her agreement.

Elsa placed the bowl on the table and retrieved the medicine bottle. She returned to the bedside. The cork slipped from the bottle with a faint pop. Her eyes began to water as she brought the bottle up to measure out a spoonful. Thick, brown, syrupy like liquid oozed from the bottle to fill the spoon.

She held her breath to keep from gagging. Once the spoon was full, she held it out to Gerda.

The woman's nose crinkled as she caught a whiff of the concoction. "That smells horrid."

"Well, as you tell Anna, medicine isn't supposed to smell or taste good."

Brown eyes fixed her with a hard glare. "Just wait till it's your turn to down that witch doctor's brew. We'll see who's laughing then."

Elsa couldn't hide her giggle as she tried to steady the spoon. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Gerda drew a deep breath, opened her mouth and closed her eyes. Not waiting for her to change her mind, Elsa gently forced the spoon into her mouth.

As the thick liquid coated her tongue, Gerda struggled to force it down. After a moment, she smacked an open hand against the blanket. Her face turned bright red as she sucked in a breath and began coughing.

"Gerda?" Elsa came to her feet. Unsure what to do, she began rubbing circles on the woman's back.

"That,horrid man, is trying, to kill me." She managed to spit out the words between coughs.

"Would you like some water?" Torn between laughter and crying, Elsa continued to stroke her back.

Unable to answer Gerda nodded. She continued to cough as Elsa retrieved a glass.

With one hand on Gerda's shoulder, Elsa steadied the glass, as Gerda drank. After several large swallows she pushed it away.

"Thank you, dear." She managed to rasp out, as the coughing eased.

She missed the small smile on Elsa's lips at the slip in formality. Exhausted Gerda laid back against the pillows.

Elsa placed the glass on the nightstand as she eased onto the edge of the bed. She studied the older woman's face. Winkles lined once smooth skin. When had the honey brown hair grown so gray? Sometimes she forgot that Gerda was no longer the young woman who used to give her baths before bedtime. The woman who would check the dark corners to make sure no monsters were lurking to drag her away in the night.

She had washed away dirt and tears, made her eat her vegetables and tucked her in with bedtime stories.

Anytime her parents had not been available, Gerda had been there to care for her.

From the moment she drew her first breath Gerda had been a part of her life. There was a part of her that believed Gerda would always be there. But she knew that could not be.

Time was taking it's toll on the woman. One day she would be gone. Elsa felt a twinge of panic. The thought of losing her was not something Elsa wanted to consider.

"What has you worried?"

"What makes you think I'm worried." Elsa asked.

Gerda placed a hand atop the one resting in Elsa's lap. "The room grew cooler. What are you thinking about?"

Red blushed Elsa's cheeks as she ducked her head, under the woman's gaze. "I was thinking, how I don't want to lose you. I was remembering how you would sit with me after mother and father…passed." She picked at her skirt with her free hand.

"Don't worry yourself over such things. I have no plans to leave this world anytime soon."

"Such things are not always up to us."

Gerda placed a hand atop the one resting in Elsa's lap. She waited till Elsa met her gaze. "You mustn't worry over such things. It will not change what is to be. You'll only lose sleep and peace of mind."

Elsa patted the hand atop hers and managed a small smile. "I know. It's just…I don't know what I would do without you. If not for you, I'm not sure I would have survived losing mama and papa."

"You are stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Without looking up Elsa nodded. Her mind drifted back to those dark times. For two days after word of her parent's passing she had sat in her room sobbing. She refused to leave the room or open the door, even for meals. On the third day Gerda had forced her way in, pass the ice and snow pressing against the door. In spite of Elsa's protests, the woman had insisted on caring for the grieving princess. Wrapped from head to toe in winter wear, she refused to leave till Elsa had eaten, bathed and changed into clean clothes.

That first day Elsa had been unable to eat as the fork would freeze over before she could take a bite. Much to her dismay Gerda had insisted on feeding her.

The maid had argued that it wasn't touching, since the fork was between them.

Elsa had been too hungry and tired to argue. Once she had eaten, exhaustion took over. Gerda tucked her in, than sat by her bed, reading and singing to her till she fell asleep.

"You took such good care of me, and Anna. Shifting between us throughout the day and night."

"I did what I could. What you would allow me to do."

The gentle scolding caused Elsa to duck her head. "I didn't want to keep you from Anna. She needed someone to comfort her."

"So did you."

"Yes, I did. Thank you, for everything." She leaned forward and cup Gerda's cheek with one hand as she placed a gentle kiss on the other.

Gerda caught the hand on her cheek as Elsa eased back. Tears glistened in her brown eyes as she pulled the hand to her lips, pressing a kiss to it. There was a faint coolness to the pale hand, that was so familiar it brought more tears to her eyes. With her eyes squeezed shut, she held the hand for a moment longer. She drew a raggit breath before releasing Elsa. "Now, that's enough of that. I've kept you from your duties long enough."

"Are you throwing me out?" There was a hint of teasing in Elsa's voice.

"What? No,I…" Gerda folded her hands in her lap and straightened. "I know the Queen has more important things to do than baby sit an old woman."

"You're not old, and I'm not leaving. Would you like for me to read to you?"

Gerda started to protest, but caught herself. "That would be nice."

Elsa's grin blossomed into a wide smile. Gerda felt her heart warm at the once rare sight.

After a quick search through the book selves surrounding the room, Elsa returned to Gerda's side with a book in hand. She pulled a chair and foot rest to the bedside and settled in.

Gerda settled back into the pillow's, closing her eyes as Elsa's voice lulled her to sleep with the heroic quest of Don Quixote. She drifted off thinking about the baby she had held in her arms, one cold winter morn long ago.


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness had long since claimed the day as Anna strolled into the castle. Alma had been waiting with her dinner and a report of the days events. Upon hearing of Gerda's illness she had wanted to rush to the woman's room. But Alma had insisted that she eat first. After wolfing down her dinner, much to Alma's dismay, she headed for the servant's quarters. Not bothering to change from her travel clothes Anna eased into the dimly lit room. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Though she had not been in the room since she was a child, there was a familiar comfort in it.

Gerda was wrapped in several blankets, upon the bed. As she drew closer she found Elsa slumped to one side of a large wing back chair. Her feet propped up on a foot stool and a open book lay face down in her lap.

Both women were asleep. With great care she eased the book off her sister's lap. Once it was free she leaned in and placed a soft kiss atop the blond hair. Elsa didn't stir. She laid the book on the nightstand.

"Anna?"

In the quiet of the room the soft spoken name caused her to jump. She turned to find Gerda looking up at her. The woman's eyes were heavy with sleep as she started to stir.

Anna stilled her with a hand upon her shoulder. "I didn't mean to wake you." She whispered. "Go back to sleep."

Gerda nestled back into the covers. She looked past Anna. "Don't let your sister sleep in that chair all night. She needs her rest."

Anna glanced back at Elsa. "She's fine. How are you feeling?" She touched a hand to Gerda's forehead and was relieved to find it cool to the touch."

"I'm fine. Queen Elsa has been fussing over me all day." Though she tried to sound stern, Anna noticed the faint smile on the older woman's lips, as she looked at Elsa.

"Well, then I guess it's my turn." Anna pulled the blankets up on her.

"No, you go to bed."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Gerda. You can't order me to bed."

Brown eyes stared up at her and started to mist over. A hand cupped her cheek. "No, you're not a little girl anymore." She sobered. "But I'm still responsible for you. You need to get some proper sleep."

Anna caught the hand and held it to her cheek. "For tonight, you are my responsibility. Go to sleep, Gerda." She smiled down at her as she pulled the hand away and pressed a kiss against it. Anna tucked the hand back under the blankets. In a moment Gerda was softly snoring.

Taking a spare blanket from the foot of the bed, Anna curled up in a chair opposite Elsa. She drifted off to the steady crackle of the fire and the comforting sound of soft snores.

The End


End file.
